Monster sprouts as large as snooker balls on sale for Christmas

Monster sprouts as large as snooker balls are going on sale this week in time for the all important Christmas dinner market.

Monster sprouts as large as snooker balls are going on sale this week in time for the all important Christmas dinner market.

The whoppers, which have been grown in a secret trial in Lincolnshire and are being sold as ‘Giant Sprouts’, will be the biggest ever seen on British high streets and will be sold exclusively by Tesco, priced at £1.50 for a bag of eight.

They are being launched now as sprout sales peak in the five days before Christmas with sales up by nearly 300 per cent on the rest of December.

Tesco brassica buyer Andrew Gaunt said: “Bad news for kids but great news for sprout fans as these ones are absolute monsters and could easily carry off prizes in horticulture competitions. They look more like mini cabbages and just one pack of eight could feed a family of four.

“They have been grown exclusively for us in a secret trial and if they prove popular we will look at bringing them in earlier in the season next year. “

The sprouts, which taste the same as the regular variety, were naturally grown by TJ Clement of Benington, near Boston in Lincolnshire who are one of the UK largest suppliers of brassica.

Sprouts became part of our staple ‘meat and two veg’ diet during rationing after the Second World War but in the 80s and 90s their popularity waned as eating habits changed and diets became more exotic.

They also bore the brunt of schoolboy jokes which further dampened the enthusiasm of an entire generation leading to a decline in sales.

So worried were growers about their fall in popularity that the British Sprout Growers Association was formed 10 years ago to halt their decline by working to show how versatile the vegetable is and coming up with new recipes.

Growers hope the new giant variety will help introduce sprouts to a new generation.

Tesco buyer Andrew Gaunt added: “Another key point is the giant sprouts are much easier to peel so they will save those people cooking Christmas dinner some extra time.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Sprouts are a good source of the antioxidant ACE vitamins. In fact, weight for weight, sprouts contain six times more vitamin C than an orange. They are also good a source of B9 (folic acid) and are in high dietary fibre.

For more information please contact the Tesco Press Office on
01992 644645
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